Long-term frag tank setup suggestions?

[MrSquid]

I'll be doing a ~300g system later in the year, and in the meantime I'm tossing around the idea of setting up a frag/growout tank to get some of my corals started. I've had a reef tank but it's new to my wife. My thought with the frag tank is that A) I can grow out some stuff so there's some decent size to things when I set up the big one, and B) it'll ease my wife into it a bit. With MAX coming up, I figure it could be good timing. (or I sit on my hands since there's always frag setups for sale there)

Thinking something like AA's AIO 30x20x12 (I love the 12" height). This would be going on a counter in the garage (future fish room), so a sump isn't an option. This would continue on as a permanent frag tank/new fish observation tank once the full system is set up.

Is it feasible to set up something like this with thoughts that stuff could in there for about 6 months? Seems to me it's just another tank so I don't see why it'd be an issue and I've got no problem with doing a water change every couple of weeks. There'd be a mix of SPS, LPS and zoas plus a small CUC plus a couple of fish in time.

Talking things out with a reefing buddy of mine out of state, we came up with a Hydra 26 (?), some sort of bio media in one of the AIO chambers then run with an MJ pump and a pump in the tank (MP10? Gyre 130?). Add an ATO off of a bucket and a doser that I will eventually move to the big system. I'm not against getting my Apex a few months early to put on it if it'd help keep it stable, and then I'd move that to the big system too.

Do you think it'd need a skimmer? Should I think about a fuge?

I guess technically the tank itself wouldn't HAVE to be an actual frag tank - could it be anything in the 24x24 range. (20x24 if there's some sort of HOB gear) Definitely open to all ideas. On the surface it seems like there's lots of options, but I'm sure reality will whittle them down fast.

 

[maze531]

You could have the sump above your frag tank. Just a suggestion.


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[MrSquid]

You could have the sump above your frag tank. Just a suggestion.

That's an interesting thought. There are cabinets above, but there's a lot space between them & the counter this would sit on.

 

[solitude127]

Sump would be suggested. AIO for temporarily permanent frag tank are tough to keep stable

 

[MrSquid]

Sump would be my preference. I thought of tearing out the drawers in the cabinet under it, but I have 34" of space from counter > upper cabinet. I think I could pull off an upper sump.

Thoughts on skimmer & fuge? I'm thinking yes.

 

[maze531]

If you can take a picture of where your thinking of putting the tank. I think a sump above would look pretty cool if done right.


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[solitude127]

Sump would be my preference. I thought of tearing out the drawers in the cabinet under it, but I have 34" of space from counter > upper cabinet. I think I could pull off an upper sump.

Thoughts on skimmer & fuge? I'm thinking yes.

Depends on how many fish you have in there. You need some fish poo to feed your corals

 

[MrSquid]

I tried posting a pic this morning before I left for work but got an error. I agree though - I think it could look cool.

Thinking maybe 2 - 4 fish. Pair of clowns, tail spot blenny....small lil' dudes.

 

[maze531]

Download tapatalk on your phone. Easiest way to post pics.


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[MrSquid]

That's where I got the error.

 

[MrSquid]

Here we go - even though I got an error, but still shows a file, even if tiny, and twice. LOL

The tank would go on the right end of the counter where the extension cord is.

 

[maze531]

Ah ok I see an idea depending on the size of the tanks you could do side by side or front and back. Get a sump that is taller then your frag tank drilled hole near the top since your frag tank is only going to be 12" high if your sump is 24" high there would be enough room to flow from to the sump to the frag tank. Only issue you would have to have a pump in your frag tank. But you could hide it with some rock. I could be off but I think that's what I would do.


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[MrSquid]

I've been rolling in my head with your over/under idea and I really think you are on to something with that. Gonna put something together on paper at some point this weekend and will show you guys.

There will be water storage containers on the rest of the counter. Need to get those so I have sizes locked in.

A buddy of mine suggested doing a sump underneath and just killing those drawers, but I'm concerned about moisture buildup...and backlash from my with if I try to get rid of storage.

 

[MrSquid]

I got a chance to do some drawings this weekend, so here's what I'm thinking about.

The photo is the area where the system would be going - on this countertop, on the end where the orange extension cord is. The rest of the counter will be water storage.

There's a few sketches - an overall system sketch, front view for both the tank and the (overhead) sump and a top view of the tank. I see the tank as 24x24x12 and the overhead sump ~22x15x?.

Because there's upper cabinets, if needed depending on clearance needed for the skimmer, I can put the overhead sump on a platform that would be on heavy duty drawer slides so I could slide the sump out if I need to do anything in it. There'd be two separate drain lines from the top for redundancy, and the sump would be eurobraced so water won't slosh out when it's being slid in & out.

Thoughts?